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Saudi Arabia eyes welcoming over 3.5 million Pakistani tourists annually by 2030

In this handout photo, taken and released by Saudi Hajj Ministry, Saudi Minister for Hajj and Umrah, Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah (right), gestures during a meeting with Pakistani caretaker Minister of Religious Affairs and Interfaith Harmony Aniq Ahmed in Islamabad on August 21, 2023. (Photo courtesy: Saudi Hajj Ministry)
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Updated 24 August 2023
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Saudi Arabia eyes welcoming over 3.5 million Pakistani tourists annually by 2030

  • Saudi official says Pakistan an ‘important and strategic market’ for Kingdom with over 2.5 million Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia
  • Saudi Tourism Authority official says Kingdom plans to target Pakistanis who spend vacations in US, Dubai, Europe and Turkiye
Updated 24 August 2023
KHURSHID AHMED   

KARACHI: As Saudi Arabia opens up more tourist destinations beyond Makkah and Madinah and expedites its visa process, a top Saudi Tourism Authority (STA) official said this week that the Kingdom is aggressively targeting Pakistani tourists, and plans to welcome over 3.5 million of them per year by 2030.

Saudi Arabia is a favorite destination for thousands of Pakistanis who travel to the Kingdom each year, especially during the month of Ramadan, to pray at Muslim holy sites in Makkah and Madinah, and perform the Umrah pilgrimage. Of late, the Kingdom has started exploring options to increase tourism between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, which included an agreement earlier this week to increase the number of flights between the two countries.

To ensure more facilities for Pakistani pilgrims, the STA launched the Nusuk travel platform in Pakistan on Tuesday. Nusuk is the kingdom’s first official planning, booking and experience platform to create Hajj or Umrah itineraries to Makkah, Madinah and beyond. It allows travelers from all over the world to easily organize their visit to Saudi Arabia by facilitating their e-visa process along with flight and hotel bookings.

“We are very optimistic with the launch of Nusuk because from Pakistan in this year alone, we have welcomed more than one million visitors,” Alhasan Aldabbagh, president of the Asia-Pacific (APAC) markets at STA, told journalists Tuesday at an event held to launch Nusuk.

“And most of them are coming to Saudi to perform Umrah, but also there are a lot of Pakistanis who are coming for business.”

Aldabbagh said Pakistan is an “important and strategic” market for the Kingdom since there are over 2.5 million Pakistanis living in Saudi Arabia who are visited by their friends and relatives each year.

“We have a big ambition for Pakistan, we are targeting to attract more than 3.5 million Pakistanis by 2030 and I believe this is a very conservative estimate,” the STA official said.

Saudi Minister for Hajj and Umrah, Tawfiq Bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah arrived in Pakistan on Sunday for a four-day official visit with a large delegation, where he met Pakistani leaders to discuss bilateral relations and tourism.

Aldabbagh said Saudi officials had studied Pakistani tourists who travel to the Kingdom frequently, adding that they divided them into segments to better understand the tourists’ varying needs.

“One of the big [Pakistani tourists] segments that are coming to Saudi is during Ramadan, this is the high season and they tend to stay longer in Saudi in Makkah and Medina,” Aldabbagh observed.

The STA official said another segment of Pakistani tourists travel to the Kingdom during the off-season on holidays, during summers, and on some important religious events such as the Al Isra and Al Mi’raj, and the birthday of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Muslims refer to Isra as the night journey that the prophet undertook from Makkah to Masjid Al-Aqsa and Mi’raj as the journey he undertook from Masjid Al-Aqsa to the heavens.

Aldabbagh said the STA was planning to target Pakistani tourists who spend their vacations in Europe, the US, Dubai or in Turkiye, adding that the authority was planning to launch a “big marketing campaign” by the end of this year in Pakistan.

“We want to work with celebrities and influencers and travel bloggers here in Pakistan to bring as much exposure to the transformation that we’re doing to make Umrah easier and more accessible than ever before,” he said.

He said the Kingdom was planning on increasing focus on other historical Islamic sites as well for tourists who visited Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah. He said Saudi authorities are inviting tourists to visit the Cave of Hira, Mount Uhud and several iconic mosques in the country.

“Saudi today is the true home of Arabia,” Aldabbagh noted. “We have six UNESCO World Heritage sites and over 10,000 archaeological sites in Saudi. We have places like El-Balad in Jaddah, which is the old downtown.”

He reiterated that the Kingdom has expedited its visa issuing process, enabling visitors to apply for an Umrah visa online that would be issued in less than 24 hours.

The STA official said Saudi Arabia would launch winter festivities that would feature several activities in Riyadh, Al Ula, and other Saudi cities as well.

Topics: Pakistan Saudi Ties Saudi Hajj and Umrah ministry Saudi Hajj Minister Dr. Tawfig Al-Rabiah

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Pakistan starts receiving Hajj applications from today

Updated 5 sec ago
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Pakistan starts receiving Hajj applications from today

  • Around 15 designated banks have started receiving applications for annual Islamic pilgrimage
  • In a first, Pakistani pilgrims can pay fees in installments, as per the country’s new Hajj policy
Updated 5 sec ago
SAIMA SHABBIR

ISLAMABAD: Around 15 designated Pakistani banks have started receiving applications for the upcoming annual Hajj pilgrimage, state-run media reported on Monday.
Pakistan’s religious affairs minister last week announced the country’s Hajj 2025 policy, according to which pilgrims can pay fees for the annual Islamic pilgrimage in installments for the first time. 
The first installment of Hajj dues, amounting to Rs200,000 ($717), must be deposited along with the Hajj application under the government scheme, while the second installment of Rs400,000 ($1,435) must be deposited within ten days of the balloting. The remaining amount must be deposited by February 10 next year.
“Fifteen designated banks have started receiving Hajj applications from today,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
Next year’s Hajj under the government scheme is expected to range between Rs1,075,000 ($3,858) to Rs1,175,000 ($4,217), while an additional cost for the sacrifice will be Rs55,000 ($197.43).
“The quota for the government Hajj scheme is 89,605,” Radio Pakistan said. “Five thousand seats have been allocated for overseas Pakistanis under the sponsorship scheme. Overseas Pakistanis will need to make a one-time payment in US dollars.”
The Hajj sponsorship scheme was introduced by the government last year, allowing overseas Pakistanis to apply for Hajj or sponsor someone in Pakistan for the journey by paying in US dollars. In return, the applicants would not have to participate in the balloting process for the pilgrimage. 
The government’s Hajj package includes airfare, meal, training, accommodation and vaccination, the state-run media said. 
Saudi Arabia has allotted Pakistan a total quota of 179,210 pilgrims for the upcoming Hajj. While announcing the Hajj 2025 policy last week, Pakistan’s Religious Affairs Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain said preference would be given to those going for the pilgrimage for the first time while under the new policy, children under the age of 12 will not be allowed to perform Hajj. 
“The traditional long package for the official Hajj scheme will cover 38 to 42 days and the short package will cover 20 to 25 days,” Hussain had said.

Topics: Hajj 2025 Pakistani Hajj pilgrims

Pakistan invites Chinese companies to invest in renewable energy to cut reliance on fuel imports

Updated 52 min 30 sec ago
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Pakistan invites Chinese companies to invest in renewable energy to cut reliance on fuel imports

  • Pakistan’s envoy to China says country has natural advantage for renewable energy resources with over 1,000 km coastline
  • Pakistan has suffered from an energy crisis stemming largely from gap in country’s energy supplies and electricity demand
Updated 52 min 30 sec ago
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ambassador to China has invited Chinese companies to invest in the country’s renewable energy and offshore wind sectors, state-run media reported on Monday, as Islamabad seeks to cut its reliance on expensive fuel imports amid its prolonged energy crisis. 
Pakistan has suffered from an energy crisis that stems largely from a gap in the country’s energy supplies and electricity demand, with the South Asian country’s reliance on expensive energy imports drains its resources and triggers inflation. 
According to National Electric Power Regulatory Authority’s (NEPRA) 2022 yearly report, Pakistan’s total installed power generation capacity is 43,775 MW, of which 59 percent of energy comes from thermal (fossil fuels), 25 percent from hydro, 7 percent from renewable (wind, solar and biomass) and 9 percent from nuclear energy resources. 
“Pakistan’s Ambassador to China, Khalil Hashmi has said that Pakistan has a natural advantage for renewable resources of energy with its long coastline of over one thousand kilometers,” Radio Pakistan reported. “He invited Chinese investors to explore the opportunities available in Pakistani offshore wind industry.”
The Pakistani envoy was speaking at a seminar titled “High-Quality Development of Offshore Wind Power Supply Chain” at the Chinese city of Fuzhou, Radio Pakistan said. 
He appreciated China’s rapid advancements in the offshore wind industry sector, underlining the need for enhanced bilateral cooperation by strengthening technology exchanges, infrastructure development and regulatory support, the state broadcaster said. 
Pakistan’s power minister last month met his counterpart from Iran and Chinese energy officials to discuss enhanced cooperation in cross-border energy on the sidelines of the Third Belt & Road Ministerial Conference held in Qingdao, China in October.
The Pakistani minister also held separate meetings with Yao Huan, vice president of Power China and Ni Zhen, the general manager of Energy China, in Qingdao. During the meeting, Leghari conveyed Pakistan’s desire to modernize power dispatch and transmission systems, aimed at cutting lines and other losses, the power ministry had said.

Topics: Pakistan China Ties

Pakistan Cricket Board says Gillespie to remain head coach for South Africa series

Updated 18 November 2024
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Pakistan Cricket Board says Gillespie to remain head coach for South Africa series

  • PCB rejects media reports of ex-cricketer Aaqib Javed replacing Gillespie
  • Pakistan will play all-format away series against South Africa in December/January
Updated 18 November 2024
Shahjahan Khurram

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday strongly refuted speculation it was about to replace the national squad’s Head Coach Jason Gillespie with former world cup winner Aaqib Javed, saying Gillespie will continue in the role for Pakistan’s Test series against South Africa in December/January 2025.
Multiple media outlets reported last week that the PCB was set to appoint Javed, who is currently the convener of Pakistan’s national selection committee, as head coach of the men’s team across all formats. Gillespie is Pakistan’s Test coach and currently the interim coach of the white-ball side.
The former Australian pacer was appointed as interim white-ball coach after his predecessor, Gary Kirsten, resigned from the post in October. According to local media outlets, Kirsten resigned following disagreements with the cricket board over its decision to strip him of selection powers.
“As announced previously, Jason Gillespie will continue to coach the Pakistan side for the two red-ball matches against South Africa,” the PCB wrote on social media platform X.
Pakistan are scheduled to play three T20Is, three ODIs and two Test matches in an away series against South Africa in December/January 2025. The PCB have not confirmed if Gillespie will be the head coach for any series beyond those two Tests against South Africa, though he does have a contract with the board till 2026. Pakistan have a two-Test home series against West Indies immediately following the Tests in South Africa.
Citing a PCB official in its report on Sunday, ESPNcricinfo said the board decided to replace Gillespie on account of him not spending enough time in Pakistan.
“ESPNcricinfo understands Gillespie’s view is that he has spent every day his contract demanded he be in Pakistan within the country, in addition to which he also did the Shaheens tour of Darwin without pay as a gesture of goodwill,” the website reported. 
Pakistan have a busy cricket schedule ahead, with the green shirts set to play a three-match ODI series against Zimbabwe starting Sunday after which they play the all-format series in South Africa. Their next home series is a two-match Test series against the West Indies at the end of January, and their only white-ball games before the Champions Trophy come in a short tri-series against South Africa and New Zealand in February.
The PCB has come under increasing criticism for the high rate of turnover at the board. In November 2023, then team director Mickey Arthur was told by then PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf he would not be going with the team for the Test series in Australia in January 2024. Former Pakistan cricketer Mohammad Hafeez was appointed team director for that tour. 
Arthur and Grant Bradburn, then head coach, parted ways with the PCB soon after. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi assumed the PCB chair weeks later, beginning the hunt for Pakistan’s white and red-ball coaches, with the posts ultimately going to Gillespie and Kirsten.

Topics: Pakistan cricket

Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur today to mark birth anniversary of religion’s founder

Updated 18 November 2024
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Indian Sikh pilgrims to visit Kartarpur today to mark birth anniversary of religion’s founder

  • Sikh pilgrims from India cross over into Pakistan every year via visa-free Kartarpur Corridor
  • Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Kartarpur, Narowal, is Sikhism founder’s final resting place
Updated 18 November 2024
Arab News Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Indian Sikh pilgrims will visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in the eastern Kartarpur town today, Monday, to mark the 555th birth anniversary of their religion’s founder Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji, state media reported. 
Every year Indian Sikh pilgrims cross over from India to Pakistan via a visa-free border crossing known as the Kartarpur Corridor. The corridor connects Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, near Narowal in Pakistan’s Punjab, to Gurudwara Dera Baba Nanak in Indian Punjab’s Gurdaspur district. 
Inaugurated in 2019, the corridor is seen as a rare example of cooperation and diplomacy between the two South Asian neighbors.
“Sikh pilgrims will visit Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur on Monday to celebrate the 555th birth anniversary of Baba Guru Nanak Dev Ji,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported.
It said that the pilgrims would visit Gurdwara Rohri Sahib in Eminabad on Wednesday before concluding their journey in Pakistan’s eastern city of Lahore.
Much of Sikh heritage is located in Pakistan. When Pakistan was carved out of India at the end of British rule in 1947, Kartarpur ended up on the Pakistani side of the border, while most of the region’s Sikhs remained on the other side.
For over seven decades, the Sikh community had lobbied for easier access to their holiest temple.
Pakistan’s initiative to open the corridor earned widespread appreciation from the international community, including the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, who had described it as a “Corridor of Hope.”

Topics: Sikh pilgrims Gurdwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur Baba Guru Nanak

Fly Jinnah celebrates inaugural Lahore-Dammam flight amid Saudi expansion

Updated 18 November 2024
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Fly Jinnah celebrates inaugural Lahore-Dammam flight amid Saudi expansion

  • Pakistan’s low-cost airline began domestic operations in 2022 and is now focusing on the Middle East
  • Fly Jinnah has also been connecting Pakistani cities to Sharjah, Riyadh and Jeddah, as PIA struggles
Updated 18 November 2024
NAIMAT KHAN

KARACHI: Fly Jinnah, Pakistan’s low-cost airline, celebrated its inaugural flight from Lahore to Dammam on Sunday, further enhancing air connectivity between the South Asian nation and Saudi Arabia amid growing demand for international travel.
Established in 2021 as a joint venture between Pakistan’s Lakson Group and the United Arab Emirates’ Air Arabia Group, Fly Jinnah began domestic operations in October 2022, connecting major Pakistani cities such as Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta.
In February 2024, the airline launched its first international route, connecting Islamabad to Sharjah, before expanding to Saudi Arabia— home to an estimated 2.7 million Pakistanis— with flights to Riyadh and Jeddah.
“We are happy to celebrate our inaugural flight from Lahore to Dammam, further enhancing connectivity between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia for our passengers,” the airline said in a social media post.


The first flight to Dammam in the kingdom’s Eastern Province was operated a day earlier. A substantial number of Pakistani families reside in and around the Saudi city, drawn by job opportunities in the oil-rich region.
The addition of Dammam to its network highlights Fly Jinnah’s aim to capture the lucrative Middle Eastern travel market as Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), the struggling national carrier, faces financial challenges.
The Pakistani government has been exploring privatization options for PIA, leaving a gap that private airlines such as Fly Jinnah aim to fill.
Saudi Arabia is a key destination for Pakistani travelers, driven by religious pilgrimage to Makkah and Madinah and by a thriving expatriate workforce.
Fly Jinnah’s direct connections offer affordable travel options, positioning the airline as a viable competitor in this high-demand sector.

Topics: Fly Jinnah Dammam Airport Co. (DACO) Pakistani flight attendant

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